Microsoft has projected that artificial intelligence could contribute over $1.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, marking a major opportunity for the continent to shift from being a consumer of technology to a global producer of innovation.
According to Microsoft Nigeria’s Country Manager, Abideen Yusuf, the continent stands at the threshold of an economic transformation similar to the rise of mobile and cloud computing in previous decades.
“AI will contribute more than $1.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030,” Yusuf said, citing PwC’s Global Artificial Intelligence Study. “Harnessing local skills, ideas, and innovation, African entrepreneurs can fuel the fires of a global AI economy.”
He said Africa’s ability to benefit from the AI revolution depends on strategic investments in digital infrastructure, skills development, and entrepreneurship. Yusuf noted that Microsoft is already making such investments through its Founders Hub and AI National Skilling Initiative.
Microsoft was the first hyperscale cloud provider to establish an enterprise-grade data center region in Africa, with Edge Nodes in Nigeria and Kenya to improve network performance and cloud access for local businesses. Yusuf said these investments reflect the company’s long-term commitment to helping African firms adopt AI responsibly and securely.
He highlighted growing AI integration across industries, including mobile technology, where AI-powered devices are transforming smartphones into adaptive, intelligent tools. Governments and enterprises, he added, are increasingly combining 4G, 5G, AI, and IoT technologies to enhance productivity and public service delivery.
Yusuf also pointed to partnerships with Nvidia’s Inception Programme that are helping African startups build AI-driven solutions to local challenges. He cited startups such as Wall-X and CoTrust Equity in fintech, and Terragon, Trucki, and ICE Commercial Power in marketing, logistics, and energy, as examples of how AI is already empowering African innovators.
“The challenges that Africans face — from financial inclusion to healthcare and agriculture — are global in nature,” Yusuf said. “By building solutions that work here, African innovators can help solve similar problems worldwide.”
